Nature Closeup

Another beautiful day at Paradise Meadows, so after the hike to Croteau Lake departed, I was able to do a couple of nature walks around the boardwalk. There is something new to notice on every excursion - the second time around, many details & closeups caught my eye.

White bog-orchid (Platanthera dilatata)

Right now many of the blooms in the meadows are small, and white - but all have intricate flowers, once you get close up for the details.

Fringed grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata)

Sometime the white flowers are pink or purplish - such as the sticky false asphodel , when not quite fully open.

And sometimes the pink/purplish flowers are white - such as the sickletop lousewort (usually pink in the meadows).

The tiny white spider-like flowers of the fern-leaved goldthread are long finished, but the seed pods are just as unusual.

Not all of the little gems of the meadows are flora - other small species can also be discovered. One of the benches along the boardwalk is at a sharp bend of Paradise Creek, where there is a great pool for viewing trout (henceforth to be called Trout Bend).  Apparently these are adults, although only about 6" long.